The invention is concerned with a process for purifying an alkylaminohydroxypropoxy cyanopyridine compound.
2-(3-C.sub.3-4 alkylamino-2-hydroxypropoxy)-3-cyanopyridines are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,282. The compounds have useful pharmaceutical activity. When prepared by some processes e.g. such as that exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,282, the 2-(3-C.sub.3-4 alkylamino-2-hydroxypropoxy)-3-cyanopyridine product obtained contains as an impurity a small amount of the isomeric 2-(3-C.sub.3-4 alkylamino-1-hydroxymethylethoxy)-3-cyanopyridine. While the product cyanopyridine may be used without separating the impurity it is preferable to obtain the product cyanopyridine free from the impurity.
A process has been discovered by which said isomeric impurity is simply and directly removed from said product.